Eligibility Requirement for Seed Certification
Seed of only those varieties which are notified under Section-5 of the Indian Seed Act, 1966 shall be eligible for certification. Any variety to become eligible for seed certification should meet the following requirement:
- General Requirements:
a)Should be a notified variety under Section-5 of Indian Seed Act, 1966.
b) Should be in the production chain and its pedigree should be traceable. - Field Standards: It includes the selection site, isolation requirements, spacing, planting ratio, border rows, etc.
- Specific requirements: Presence of off-types in any seed crop, pollen-shedders in Sorghum, Bajra, Sunflower, etc. Shedding tassels in maize crosses, disease affected plants, objectionable weed plants, etc., should be within the maximum permissible levels for certification.
- Seed Standards: Minimum seed certification standards have been evolved crop-wise.
Certification Agency
Certification shall be conducted by the Certification Agency notified under Section 8 of the Seeds Act,1966.
Grant of Certificates by Certification Agency
Section 9 and 10 of the Seed Act, 1966
- Any person selling, keeping for sale, offering to sell, bartering or otherwise supplying any seed of any notified kind or variety may if he desires to have such seed certified by the certifying agency, apply to the certification agency for the grant of certificate for the purpose.
- Every application under sub-section (1) shall made in such form, shall contain such particulars and shall be accompanied by such fee as may be prescribed.
- On receipt of any such application for grant of certificate, the certification agency may, after such enquiry as it think fit and after satisfying itself that the seed to which the application relates conform to the minimum limits of germination and purity specified for that seed under clause (a) of section 6, grant a certificate in such form and on such conditions as may prescribed.
